Pay it forward Priciple.

The concept is that you engage in a random act of kindness. It can be towards your friends , neighbors, relatives or even strangers.

You don't expect anything in return from them. You do it for your satisfaction and happiness. The person who is the receiver of this act is also hopefully helped and happy about it . If they do want to repay you for your kindness, then just ask them to help somebody else and pay it forward.

When I think about it , I have found that I too have been subject to such random acts of kindness.

One such incident I can think of is when I was in school . We used to travel by bus to school everyday and we usually had a bus pass and some money. But one day, I found that my bus pass had expired AND I did not have any change . I was already in the bus and for some reason I was not with my friends or my sister on that day. Mobile phones were unheard of in those days. I was in a panick since I would not be able to go home without buying a ticket . I might be humiliated and asked to get off the bus .

At that time, another girl somehow realized that I was panicking and asked me what I was panicking about. I told her my dilema and she without a seconds hesitation bought a ticket , gave it to me and got off the bus in the next stop. It might have been a very small thing for her. But I remember that girl and her act of kindness even to this day. I never met that girl again but that act has remained with me forever.

People have been doing random acts of kindness without even being aware of it. Think how much of a difference it would make if we started doing it with awareness. These acts need not be of great monetary value too. It can be as simple as smiling at strangers and saying a king word to a person who is sad.

How do u practice this principle ?
Be attentive to opportunities to help people. These can be as simple and basic as helping babysit your neighbors kids when you know the parents need help, helping seniors with their chores or maybe help your maid's kids with their homework or studies to as complex as becoming an organ donor.

There are so many opportunities to help make this world a better place to be if we just pay a little attention.

I, on my part have started looking for opportunities to practice this principle . All of us may not be able to make an impact like Buddha or Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King , but we can make the world a better , safer and happier place in our own small ways.

What do you guys think about this ?

Deepavali(Festival Of Lights) Celebrations

Last weekend we had Deepavali (Festival Of Lights). It is one of the most awaited festivals for all the Indians. It is eagerly awaited by all, young or old or of any religion. Mostly because of all the crackers that you get to burst!

This was my first Deepavali here. I had assumed that it would be a lack luster affair since we were in a foreign land. I was in for a pleasant surprise. One day before the festival, I got a call from one of my friend’s to come to her house for Arishina and Kumkuma (It is a custom among South Indians to invite people to their houses during festivals and religious ceremonies and then give them beetle leaves, Kumkuma, Arishina (turmeric) to the ladies before they leave). It was a surprise for me since I had not expected this here.

On the 2nd day of Deepavali, we went to her apartment. This apartment complex has a lot of Indians. We see that all the houses have been decorated with serial lights and there were Diya’s (Clay Lamps) in the doorsteps of most of the houses. It really was a very festive atmosphere with all the children and adults dressed up in traditional Indian clothes and generally having a good time. They were also bursting crackers (non-bomb varieties like sparklers)! We also went to a few others friend’s houses.

On the Bali Padyami day, (Third Day) we had invited a few friends over to our house. We had a small get together, lit a few candles and generally had a good time with friends :).

This was a really different way of celebrating Deepavali for me. The grandeur of the festival back in India is a different plane of existence! We used to have so many varieties of food to eat, so many crackers to burst, and the new clothes that you would get to show off. How can I forget the constant reminders from elders to be careful while bursting the crackers!!

We missed all this fun and noise this time!! :((

The Story of Lord Krishna and Avalakki( Puffed Rice )

I had promised while writing about the HuLi avalakki recipe that I would one day tell you why Indians don’t refuse anything made out of avalakki (Puffed Rice). The reason behind this goes to the times of Mahabharatha.

This is a story involving Lord Krishna and his friend Sudhama. Let me first give a brief introduction to the people involved in the story for benefit of those who are not familiar with the Hindu Mythology.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna is 8th avatar (Incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. He was born during the Dwapara Yuga. I.e. around 3000 BC. He is the central character of the great Hindu Epic The Mahabharatha. He is also considered as the author of the Bhagavad-Gita. All the Hindus revere him as the embodiment of Love and Joy.

Sudhama was a Brahmin friend of Lord Krishna. They studied together as little boys in Guru (Teacher) Sandipani’s Ashram (something similar to a residential school).

They complete their education and are ready to part ways. Before leaving the ashram, Lord Krishna will have told Sudhama to approach him if he was in any trouble and needed any help.

As time passes, Krishna becomes the King of Mathura. Sudhama is a poor Brahmin and has to feed a large family. He is so poor that his wife will have to keep borrowing from neighbors to feed the family. When the poverty becomes unbearable, Sudhama’s wife begs Sudhama to go his friend Lord Krishna and ask him for his help. Sudhama agrees to do so. However, he does not have anything in his house to take as a gift to his friend. Sudhama’s wife therefore once again borrows a handful of puffed rice from her neighbors. She prepares a snack out of it and gives this to Sudhama to take as a gift to Lord Krishna.

Sudhama takes this and goes to meet his friend with great uncertainty about how he will be treated by his friend who is now the king. Krishna receives his friend very well and accepts his friend’s offering of puffed rice with great joy saying that it is his most favorite snack.

He eats one fistful and gives him all the worldly riches. He eats another fistful and gives Sudhama everything in the after world. He goes ahead to eat another fistful, at this point, Lord Krishna’s wife Rukmini prevents him from eating and asks what about us (Wives)? Lord Krishna calls all his 16,108 wives, distributes it to them and saves one fistful for Sudhama's journey back. Wow! And Sudhama had brought only one fistful as offering to the Lord.

Although Krishna treats Sudhama as a very good friend, Sudhama is too proud to ask Lord Krishna for any help. So he goes back home without asking for anything.

He is however pleasantly surprised when he comes back home. He finds that he has been bestowed with lots of riches and his poverty has been eliminated due to Lord Krishna's grace.

This is the story of Lord Krishna’s connection with puffed rice. Now I’ll come to the part about why we Hindu’s are not supposed to refuse anything made out of puffed rice. You guys must have guessed it by now!! Yes, it is because it is Lord Krishna’s favorite snack! :).

Naturally there is this question of why is Puffed Rice Lord Krishna’s favorite snack.
That is because, no rice plant can grow from puffed rice, unlike regular rice grain, which can grow into rice plants if sowed into the ground. Therefore, puffed rice is like Moksha (i.e. you are relieved from the cycle of birth and death). And Lord Krishna is the one who grants Moksha. It is a symbolic way of putting this point across.

I’m sure there may be many questions in your minds after having read this. Let me know your questions and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability!

Note: I have added a few more things apart from what I had originally written. One of my very good friend’s gave me more insight into the story. I thought it would be very interesting to know for you guys also.

Baale Hannu Pachadi ( Banana Salad)

Description: The dish I am writing about now is made from ripe bananas. This is especially helpful if the bananas are too ripe to eat. You won’t feel like throwing it away but then, u won’t feel like eating it too since it is very ripe.

Making a pachadi out of it is a good way of not throwing it away! The other way that I know of using a ripe banana is to crush it nicely either in a blender or using your hands and putting it over your face like a face pack! It gives a very good glow to your skin J.

This pachadi can be eaten with chapattis or pooris or different kinds of bread.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1. KaLitha BaalehaNnu (Ripe Bananas): 3 (Let it be ripe but not so ripe that it is almost watery. If it is like that, put it over your face ;))
2. huLi majjige (Curd or Buttermilk that has turned a little sour): ¼ liter or 20 Ounce
3. saasive (Mustard): a little
4. jeerige (Cumin seeds): 1 teaspoon
5. uppu (Salt): as per taste
6. hasi meNasina kaayi (Green Chillies): 4-5 or as per taste. Cleaned and Chopped You can use red Chillies also if you have them.
7. karibEvina soppu (Curry leaves): a little
8. kottaMbari soppu (Coriander leaves): a little. Cleaned and Chopped.
9. eNNe (Oil): 2 teaspoons.
10. oNa maavina puDi (amchur powder / Dried Mango Powder): a little (Optional. Can be used if the curd is not sour)
11. ingu (Asafetida): a little. As per taste.

How to Prepare:

1.Mash the bananas till they are soft and mushy. It is better if you mash them with your hands. Blender does not work so well. (Of course, wash you hands thoroughly before you mash them!).
2.Heat Oil in a pan and fry the mustard until it sputters.
3.Add cumin seeds, chopped Green Chillies, curry leaves and asafetida and fry for some more time.
4.Put the stove off and add the curd or buttermilk.
If you only have the thick curd, add some water to it and make it more watery. If the curd is not sour, you can add some amchur powder (Dried mango powder) to it.
5. Add the mashed bananas.
6. Add salt as per your taste and mix it well!
7. It is now ready to eat.


Servings: 2 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!

Recipe - Hesaru Bele Paayasa(Split Mung Beans Kheer)

Description:Kheer or paayasa as we call it is one of the many items that are prepared during festivals, weddings and many other occasions. Kheer can be prepared from many items like rice, different lentils like mung beans (Hesaru bele), Tuvar beans (also called as thogari bele or split Congo pea or split pigeon bean), vermicelli (shavige or semia ), rave (semolina) etc.

Hesaru bele paayasa is a sweet kheer that is made out of mung beans that have been skinned and split so that they are flat and yellow. They are easily available is all the Indian stores. It is labeled as mung Daal. I haven’t tried to look for it in other stores. I am however sure that they are easily available.

Hesaru bele is supposed to be very good for health. You can drink it as a kheer or as a side dish with dishes like Idli, chapatti, Poori etc.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes.

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1. kobbari turi (Grated Coconut): a little. It is optional
2. hesaru bELe (Mung Beans): 50 grams
3. haalu (Milk): about half liter (about 40 Ounce).
4. thuppa (Ghee): 2 tablespoons
5. bella (Brown Sugar/ Sugar / Jaggery): about 30 grams or as per taste
6. oNa draakshi (raisins): a little
7. gOdambi (Cashew Nuts): a little
8. Elakki pudi (Cardamom Powder): 1 tablespoons.

How to Prepare:
1.Fry the mung beans in ghee till they are slightly golden brown in colour.
2.Cook these mung beans in a pressure cooker.
3. Take the cooked mung beans in a vessel or pan.
4. Add milk, brown sugar, grated coconut and powdered cardamom to the beans and boil the mixture for about 10 minutes.
5. Fry raisins and cashew nuts in ghee and add it to the above mixture.
6. Boil the kheer for another 10 minutes.
7. It is now ready to eat.

Note: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can boil the beans in water and milk till they are nicely cooked and soft. This will take about 45 minutes or longer.

Servings: 2 Servings.

PS1: The names of ingredients are how they are called in Kannada, my mother tongue. Their English equivalents are given in brackets.

PS2: The recipes that I am posting are those that I have tried personally and have turned out well. They are recipes that I am collecting from my mother, mother-in-law, aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and my husband.

PS3: I think I have covered whatever needs to be covered. Please let me know if you would like to see any changes in the way the recipes are presented.

PS4: Enjoy your cooking. I definitely am enjoying it immensely!